Tenant Refusing to Pay

[Kaybreh Mathis]

Hello! My husband and I bought an apartment building last month. Apparently, there was a leak roof in a unit that the previous owner was aware of but we were not. After several days of heavy rains, a tenant (who we have already had multiple problems with) sent a message stating that her roof leaked and ruined her bed and clothing. She said she will not pay rent until it is fixed and we reimburse her for the items ruined. Unfortunately, she is currently locked into a lease with 9 more months left. And the lease with the previous owner does not stipulate anything regarding this matter. What do we do? Looking for advice!

[Taylor L.]

In many areas the tenant can't just refuse to pay you. The courts have to get involved and the tenant still has to put the rent in escrow. So that's something to consider. But yes, if the roof leaked and destroyed belongings it's not unreasonable for you to replace the belongings.